The present invention relates to a ceiling or floor mounted conveyor system and, more particularly, a trolley-type monorail conveyor system which is suitable for use in the garment, manufacturing, retail or import industries, as well as dry-cleaning establishments and small factories.
Garment monorail systems are well known for use in conveying garments in the manufacturing, retail and dry-cleaning industries. Conventional systems typically are of a monorail-type design, in which a track or rail is formed into a closed loop by joining sections of V-shaped steel angle iron or cylindrical bars suspended from the ceiling. A number of wheeled trolleys used to convey garments suspended on hangers are movable along the upper surface of the rail. In use, the trolleys are mounted to the rail so that the trolley body is suspended directly beneath the rail, with the wheels engaging and movable along the upper rail surface.
A major disadvantage of conventional conveyor systems exists in that it is both difficult and time consuming to customize the rail and trolley configurations for installation at a particular site. In particular, many dry-cleaning businesses are established in small commercial premises or kiosks housed within other retail establishments. This frequently necessitates the customization of the conveyor system to fit within smaller spaces and to maximize the number of garments which may be stored and conveyed by the system.
The use of rails formed from cylindrical tubes has been found to be advantageous, as the tubular construction provides strength and enables the rail to be easily bent on-site to fit within a specific space configuration. Where cylindrical rails are used, however, the individual trolleys must be placed on and removed from the rail by physically separating rail sections. Typically, rail sections are separated either by the partial disassembly of the rail, or by including specialized rail pieces which swing apart to form gaps in the rail, and enable the trolleys to be removed or added to the conveyor system.
To avoid the difficulties associated with removing and adding trolleys from cylindrical rail systems, various conveyor systems incorporate a rail formed from lengths of angle iron which is bent in an upwardly pointed V-shape. By manufacturing the trolley with a U-shape and a sufficient throat depth, it has been found that the individual trolleys may be slid onto the V-shaped rail without requiring time consuming track disassembly, or the added expense of including customized rail sections. V-shaped rails, however, do not possess the same strength as conventional cylindrical rail designs. To provide the rail with sufficient load carrying capabilities, it therefore is necessary to form the rail sections from 0.25 inch thick or greater steel. This in turn increases the overall weight and material expense of the conveyor system.
In addition, conveyor systems which incorporate a rail made from lengths of V-shaped angle iron are poorly suited for customization. In particular, because of its V-shape, angle iron is poorly suited for bending and on-site customization. As such, V-shaped rail systems frequently require the production of specialized components for installation as corner bends, or as rise or drop-run pieces.
The present invention seeks to overcome at least some of the disadvantages of the prior art conveyor systems by including a rail or track in a conveyor system having the workability and strength of conventional cylindrical rails, and which permits simplified placement and removal of trolley members or pendants from the rail. The rail is generally crescent shaped in cross-section and is characterized as a hollow generally tubular construction having a generally upwardly curving or convexly upward upper surface, and an upwardly dimpled or concave lower surface.
Another object of the invention is to provide a conveyor system adapted for installation in a monorail-type configuration and which permits simplified manufacturing and on-site customization of the conveyor track or rail.
A further object of the invention is to provide a monorail-type conveyor system having a hollow rail along which one or more trolleys move, and which achieves substantially the same or greater strength as conventional cylindrical rails, while permitting simplified installation and removal of the trolleys without requiring disassembly of the rail.
The present invention provides a conveyor system which includes an elongated track or rail and a number of trolleys used to store and/or convey various items along the rail, such as garments, manufactured goods, components or livestock. The conveyor system is configured for customized installation in smaller commercial establishments where, for example, the rail is provided in a longitudinally extending continuous loop. In cross-section the rail is preferably generally crescent shaped with a hollow interior. Most preferably, the rail is formed by crimping the bottom edge of a cylindrical metal tube along its longitudinal length to provide the rail with an upwardly convex upper surface which extends to an uppermost crest or ridge, and an upwardly dimpled and most preferably concave lower surface. Further, the hollow interior of the rail enables the rail to be bent or formed into a continuous loop in the same manner and with corresponding strength as with cylindrical rail constructions.
Where the conveyor system is to be used in dry-cleaning establishments or the like, the rail preferably has a lateral width selected at between about 10 and 60 mm and, most preferably, about 20 and 30 mm. The lower surface is crimped so that a preferred maximum spacing of about 10 and 20 mm exists between the convex upper and concave lower surfaces. Larger or smaller rail configurations, however, remain possible depending on the goods to be conveyed.
The trolleys preferably consist of an elongated trolley bar, loop or other support which is suspended on one or more trolley pendants which movably engage and travel along the rail. The trolley bar is formed having sufficient size and rigidity to support the articles which are to be moved by the conveyor system.
The trolley pendants are generally U-shaped having a central bight or body to which the trolley bar is coupled, and two spaced apart arms which project from the bight. Most preferably, the bight includes a hook, threaded bore, bolt or other keeping member which is used to releasably retain the trolley bar. The arms of the trolley pendant are spaced from each other by a distance which is selected greater than the lateral width of the rail and define a throat portion therebetween. A bearing member such as a sled, wheel, glide or the like is spaced towards the end of each arm. The bearing members project inwardly towards each other part way into the throat, and are spaced from each other by a minimum distance which is selected less than the lateral extent of the rail, but greater than the maximum spacing in between the upper and lower rail surfaces. More preferably, the arms of the trolley pendants extend from the base generally parallel to each other and project a distance from the body such that the length of the throat portion between the bight and the bearing members is at least as long as the lateral width of the rail.
Preferably, each end of the trolley bar is secured to a respective trolley pendant. More preferably, the rod, hook or other bar keeper member which extends from the bight of each respective trolley pendant and is inserted through a corresponding complimentary sized bore or slot formed through the trolley bar adjacent each of its ends. A secondary coupling bore hole or slot formed through the trolley bar adjacent one or both of its ends is sized to releasably receive part of the rod, hook or keeper member from an adjacent trolley pendant used to coupled to and support the proximate end of the adjacent trolley bar, so as to link the trolleys together in movement along the conveyor rail.
In assembly, a number of identical trolley pendants are mounted on the rail for longitudinal movement therealong with the bearing members resting on the convex upper rail surface, and the trolley body suspended directly beneath the rail. It has been appreciated that providing the rail with the upwardly concave lower surface permits the trolley pendants to be positioned on or removed from the rail in essentially the same manner as with V-shaped angle iron rail systems.
The keepers of adjacent pairs of trolley pendants are inserted through the complimentary sized bores of the trolley bar, thereby coupling the trolley bar to an associated pair of trolley pendants. The hooked end of the trolley pendant keeper member used to support a first end of the trolley bar is inserted into the secondary coupling slot or bore hole formed in the proximate end of the next adjacent trolley bar, thereby linking the trolleys together in movement along the rail.
When the trolleys approach a curve or bend in the rail, the trolleys are simply temporarily unhooked by removing the keeper member from the secondary slot or bore, allowing each trolley to independently move across the bend, after which they may again be recoupled to each other.
Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention resides in a conveyor system comprising,
a longitudinally elongated rail and a pendant-type trolley member for movement along the rail,
the rail being generally tubular and having an upwardly convex upper surface extending to an uppermost crest, and an upwardly concave lower surface spaced a distance from said upper surface,
the trolley member comprising a body and pair of spaced apart arm members extending upwardly from said body for placement along each side of said track, each arm member including a bearing member for engaging said upper surface on opposite sides of said crest to movably support the trolley member on said track, said bearing members being separated from each other by a minimum distance selected greater than the maximum distance said lower surface is spaced from said upper surface.
In another aspect, the present invention resides in a ceiling mounted conveyor system comprising,
a longitudinal elongated hollow track and at least one paid of trolley member for movement longitudinally along the track,
the track having a generally upwardly convex upper surface extending to an uppermost crest, and an upwardly concave lower surface spaced a distance from said upper surface, with the track being symmetrical about a vertically extending plane extending longitudinally through said crest,
each trolley member including a body adapted for suspension directly below said track and a pair of spaced apart arm members extending upwardly from said body for placement on each side of said track, each arm member including a bearing member for engaging said upper surface on opposite sides of said crest to movably support the trolley member on said track, said bearing members being separated from each other by a minimum distance selected greater than a maximum distance said lower surface is spaced from said upper surface, and
a plurality of vertical support members coupled to of said track proximate said crest, said support members having a lateral width selected less than the minimum distance separating said bearing members.
In a further aspect, the present invention resides in a conveyor system comprising,
a longitudinally elongated rail, said rail having an upwardly convex upper surface extending to an uppermost crest, and an upwardly concave lower surface spaced a distance from said upper surface,
a pair of trolley pendants, each of said trolley pendants comprising a body and pair of spaced apart arm members extending upwardly from said body for placement along each side of said rail, each arm member including a bearing member for engaging said upper surface on opposite sides of said crest to movably support the trolley pendant on said track, said bearing members being separated from each other by a minimum distance selected greater than the distance said lower surface is spaced from said upper surface,
a first keeper member releasably coupled to a first one of said pair of trolley pendants,
a second keeper member releasably coupled to the second other one of said pair of trolley pendants, and
a trolley bar adapted for coupling with said first and second keeper members for associated movement with said pair of trolley pendants.